The 2019 Exercise Motivation Thread

[Norachan]

Thanks rubysmama If I have a full set by summer I'm going to treat myself to some new sandals.

I went horse riding today, I rode Tsubasa again. He's young and a bit of a handful, but it's good for me to ride horses like that sometimes. Means I have to sit down and do things right.

It was quite an exciting ride, we saw a fox, a herd of deer, a hawk, a huge yellow monster (actually a digger, but Tsubasa thought it was going to eat him ) nearly got kicked by the guide's horse when we got too close and had a lovely view of the mountain all covered in snow and wild cherry trees in the forest.

I'm very tired now, but it was a fun day.

 

[rubysmama]

Thanks rubysmama If I have a full set by summer I'm going to treat myself to some new sandals.

I think it'll take a bit of time, so might not be till late summer.
Vibes for quicker, though.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Good for the jaw muscles, helps prevent a double chin,

I'm afraid my genetics are challenging that no matter what I do.

I had a good workout yesterday. I really do enjoy the resistance training with the Bowflex. I can feel a difference when I do things too. Like last weekend helping carry the kayaks around. The double kayak is way too heavy for one person; but together DH and I carried it from the pond to our campsite instead of getting the wheels for it. The last 20 feet or so my hand was burning; but we did it. DD's kayak is a single so it was much easier for us to haul back on foot. I can pick DS up easily too. I think he only weighs 45 pounds or so though. He's long but thin. But he hollers "Don't put me on the ceiling!" when I try to pick him up. I don't know that I can do THAT move anymore. (He used to love it. )

 

[Norachan]

Let me try and upload a short video of Thursday's ride...........

Riding Tsubasa. April 2019

• Norachan
• Apr 19, 2019
• 1

I rode Tsubasa this time. He can be a bit of a handful, but here are some shots of him being...

There's a fox at around the 55 second mark, can you see him?

 

[rubysmama]

Yes! Saw the fox! And love the video and the scenery. And the horses. All heavenly.

I've been somewhat better with my walking. Not long walks, but I have walked 6 of the past 12 days. So much better than the last several months.
Hopefully I can keep at it. You know, if Mother Nature cooperates.

 

[Winchester]

Great video Norachan !

I was rather lazy this past week. Again.

Monday -
16,694 steps for the day = 8.7 miles
39 floors
100 active minutes

Tuesday -
16,208 steps for the day = 8.41 miles
32 floors
102 active minutes

Wednesday -
17,399 steps for the day = 9.07 miles
31 floors
109 active minutes

Thursday -
11,563 steps for the day = 6.02 miles
19 floors
65 active minutes

Friday - a busier day
25,405 steps for the day = 13.24 miles
79 floors
203 active minutes

According to my Fitbit, I need to get 11,400 steps today to reach 100,000 steps for the week.

They're saying now that it's not the 10,000 daily steps that matters anymore. What really matters is the amount of minutes that you're actually active in a day.

Your Active Minutes on Your Fitbit May Be More Important Than the Steps

"....Fitbit has a default goal of 30 active minutes per day. You can set that goal to be higher or lower. The goal is based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the amount of exercise known to reduce health risks.

Active minutes are registered when you are meeting the CDC's goals for moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise. The CDC is one of many health authorities that says you need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week. These exercise minutes need to be accomplished in bouts of at least 10 minutes and should be spread throughout the week.

More is better, with 300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise being shown to have additional health benefits. If you have successfully lost weight, the CDC notes that people who keep it off usually log 60 to 90 minutes a day of moderate-intensity physical activity....."

 

[Norachan]

Saw the fox!

Good!

Great video

Thank you!

I did 90 minutes of yoga on Friday, 30 minutes of yoga and a 90 minute walk yesterday, 40 minutes of yoga today.

I think a lot of my exercise next week is going to be gardening. It's warm enough to plant now, so I have a lot of clearing up and adding fertilizer to do before I hit the garden center. (My favourite chore of the year.)

 

[Norachan]

Yikes, our exercise thread was third page back on this forum!



Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I did 45 minutes yoga, then a couple of hours outside working on the garden. Thursday was 90 minutes walk and two 45 minute yoga sessions.

Friday was 2 hours walking, 1 hour yoga.

Saturday and Sunday an hour of yoga each day.

Yesterday I did 45 minutes yoga, about 40 minutes on my bike then another 30 minutes yoga later in the evening.

Just an hour of yoga so far today.

How's everyone else doing this week?

 

[rubysmama]

Yikes, our exercise thread was third page back on this forum!

Thanks for reviving our thread. Guess everyone's been hibernating.

How's everyone else doing this week?

I've finally been a bit active. So far this month, I've gone for 9 short walks. If I go today, which I plan to, that will make it 10, which will be like 1 walk every 3 days. So not too bad.

I also spent a couple hours puttering in the gardens yesterday.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

It's been really hard to keep up with my plan the last few weeks. Gardening can count for some exercise right? One night I went out at midnight to do some resistance training but it's been hard to fit everything in my days. I always need a good week long break from the rest of my life to get my gardens planted and in place. The good news is I was able to move large bags of potting soil without a wagon or wheelbarrow yesterday. They weren't very wet or that would have added weight; but still.

Today I hope to do more gardening but will at least be buying more plants and things. I'm making a food delivery to my mother today. That took up several hours of my evening last night.

 

[Norachan]

If I go today, which I plan to, that will make it 10

That's good! I should do more short walks. I always think it's not worth going out for less than an hour, but I bet plenty of short walks really make a difference.

Gardening can count for some exercise right?

Yes, gardening definitely counts, it's really hard work.

I did an hour of yoga in the morning and another hour in the evening yesterday.

I haven't done any actual exercise today, but I've been rushing around like crazy cleaning the house, airing all the outdoor cat kennels and refilling them with fresh straw, repairing things and taking care of other outdoor chores.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I got one bed planted and mulched yesterday and I potted several flowers. My back has been sore in one spot but it's starting to loosen up. Today I'm hoping to go get the rest of the potting soil so there's another workout coming.

 

[rubysmama]

My back has been sore in one spot but it's starting to loosen up.

Don't overdo it. And if your back begs you to stop, then stop. I didn't listen to my back last summer, and it got quite painful, and it took WEEKS to get better.

No "formal" walk for me today, but I also did some gardening, so I'm counting that as exercise.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

The weather isn't cooperating for me today so no gardening today. I will be getting out my potting bench for the rest of it. That helps so much!

 

[Norachan]

The weather isn't cooperating for me today so no gardening today

We've had thunder storms and hail today!



Yesterday I did two 45 minute yoga sessions and an hour walk.

Just 40 minutes of yoga so far today, but I'm on my break now so have time for another hour session.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

We've had thunder storms and hail today!

No thank you! Today was gloomy but decent otherwise so I got all my flowers planted. I still need to finish covering the 2 gardens I'm not going to plant; but I should be back on my normal exercise schedule next week. I have to say; I am still very gratified to find that the time spent on getting stronger has been worth it. Potting soil isn't as heavy as garden soil; but but I still moved large bags of that and large bags of mulch with much more ease than in the past. I impressed DH by carrying my potting bench from the shed at the back of the yard to the patio; but I swear it's not that heavy for being made of wood. I don't know what it is made out of; but it was originally a display piece in Hallmark when I worked there during college. So it wasn't really intended to do heavy gardening duty. But it does the job well! And it makes potting stuff SO much easier!

So back to my normal routine soon! I may not get to buy new shorts this summer but time is still young yet. I just need to remind myself every now and then that I never set a size or a weight as my goal; I set feeling better and being stronger as my goal and I'm doing that! (But yes it's still nice to find visible differences in my appearance!)

 

[Graceful-Lily]

I got into cycling late last summer but it's been difficult. I had a lot of anxiety leaving the house. Thought about giving up and selling my bike because the adrenaline rushes have been so intense that my heart gets overworked much faster. Does anyone have this problem? Is my bike too big? It's not really a sports bike - more of a casual bike. But I also have a sports bike... Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Last year, my goal was about 15 - 20km. I think I did about 5 - 10km? I don't remember but I was out on the trail for more than 2 hours, my mom had to come get me because I was exhausted and my heart was overworked - I wasn't strong enough to make it back.

 

[Norachan]

Are your adrenaline rushes because of your anxiety Graceful-Lily ? Or because of the cycling?

Maybe you were trying to do too much at once. Would it be possible to start with 2 km or 3 km rides and then build up? If you get really stressed out about leaving the house why not try an indoor exercise bike?

I did 90 minutes of yoga today. Hoping to get out for a walk tomorrow, although I'm supposed to be de-cluttering the closet and doing some yard work too.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

It's definitely because of the anxiety but I like being out of the house. I'm home all day everyday. Have no friends and no job so cycling is the one time I'm able to just be free and explore my city.

If I were to get an indoor bike, I'd just be further isolating myself.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I think stretching your comfort zones slowly would be the way I'd approach it. Maybe set a goal that you find extra motivating. One thing I've done to push through things with not wanting to exercise is to not allow myself to read until I'm on the elliptical or after. So maybe there is something you can "allow" yourself after you go for a ride of a certain length or time. And build it up slowly. I started with just 15 minutes of cardio. I increased it in little increments. If you want to make sustainable life changes you need to make it a positive experience for yourself and find what to push through and when to set a limit.

Today was a good rest day. I'm ready to get back to my normal routine. We only have 3 weeks of school left so once it gets hot here I should have an easier time switching my strength training to the mornings. The other day when it was hot even inside I turned the ac down just while I worked out because 2 fans weren't cutting it.